The Environment (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
The environment and me
Environmental vocabulary
Understanding how to talk about the environment is essential for expressing your eco-friendly habits and concerns in Spanish. This vocabulary will help you discuss environmental topics and describe actions you take to protect our planet.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el medioambiente | the environment |
| la energía | energy |
| la luz | light |
| el plástico | plastic |
| el agua (f) | water |
| la naturaleza | nature |
| el transporte público | public transport |
| el planeta | planet |
Notice that "el agua" is marked as feminine (f) even though it uses the masculine article "el". This is because feminine nouns beginning with a stressed "a" sound use "el" instead of "la" to avoid awkward pronunciation, but they remain grammatically feminine.
Environmental actions
These verbs describe common actions related to caring for the environment and will be essential for discussing your daily eco-friendly habits:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ahorrar | to save |
| apagar | to turn out/off |
| cuidar | to take care of |
| ir a pie | to walk |
| ir en bicicleta | to cycle |
| proteger | to protect |
| reciclar | to recycle |
| separar | to separate |
| tirar basura | to drop litter |
| usar | to use |
| utilizar | to use |
Example sentences in context:
- Suelo reciclar papel y plástico. (I usually recycle paper and plastic.)
- Solemos separar la basura en casa. (We usually separate the rubbish at home.)
- ¿Sueles reciclar la ropa? (Do you usually recycle clothes?)
- Intento ir a pie. Es mejor para el medioambiente que ir en coche. (I try to walk. It's better for the environment than going by car.)
Grammar pattern: Notice how these sentences use the verb soler (to usually do) and intentar (to try to) followed by infinitive verbs. This is a common pattern when discussing habitual environmental actions.
Grammar focus: soler + infinitive
The verb soler means "to usually do something" and is always followed by an infinitive verb. It's perfect for describing your regular environmental habits and creating natural-sounding Spanish sentences.
Conjugation pattern - Stem-changing verb (o → ue):
- yo suelo
- tú sueles
- él/ella/usted suele
- nosotros/as solemos
- vosotros/as soléis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes suelen
This verb follows the stem-changing pattern (o → ue), similar to other verbs like poder or volver.
Practical examples with environmental actions:
- Suelo apagar las luces. (I usually turn off the lights.)
- Solemos ir en bicicleta. (We usually cycle.)
- ¿Sueles usar transporte público? (Do you usually use public transport?)
Useful phrases for environmental discussions
Start your sentences with these phrases to express your environmental commitment and create more sophisticated Spanish expressions:
- Para proteger la naturaleza, yo siempre... (To protect nature, I always...)
- Para ahorrar energía, intento... (To save energy, I try to...)
- Para cuidar el planeta, tenemos que... (To take care of the planet, we have to...)
These phrases use the pattern para + infinitive to express purpose, which is essential for explaining your environmental motivations in Spanish.
Pronunciation tip
The double 'll' sound:
The double 'll' in Spanish words like llevamos (we take/carry) sounds like the 'y' in "yes" or like a soft 'j' sound. It's not pronounced like the double 'l' in English words such as "yellow". This pronunciation varies by region, but both sounds are acceptable.
Translation practice
Practice your skills:
Spanish to English:
- En mi casa siempre reciclo el papel.
- Llevamos la ropa usada a una tienda de segunda mano.
English to Spanish: 3. I usually cycle to school. 4. We try to save energy at home.
Common errors and fixes
Watch out for these common mistakes:
-
Error: "Yo suelo reciclo papel" ✗ Fix: "Yo suelo reciclar papel" ✓ Reason: After soler, always use the infinitive form of the verb, not the conjugated form.
-
Error: "Solemos seperar la basura" ✗ Fix: "Solemos separar la basura" ✓
Reason: The verb is separar (to separate), not "seperar" - watch the spelling!
Key Points to Remember:
- Use soler + infinitive to express habitual environmental actions
- Environmental vocabulary helps you discuss eco-friendly topics confidently
- The double 'll' in Spanish makes a 'y' sound, not an 'l' sound
- Always use infinitive verbs after soler, intentar, and para
- Practice combining environmental vocabulary with soler to create natural-sounding sentences
Translation answers:
- In my house I always recycle paper.
- We take used clothes to a second-hand shop.
- Suelo ir en bicicleta al instituto/colegio.
- Intentamos ahorrar energía en casa.